Like A Wolf's Cry In The Distance
by CrazedwiththeCullens
Summary: It's the second week for the Cullen's at Forks Junior High. The music Teacher Mrs Biers has been diagnosed with Cancer. After Carlisle operates he asks Edward to look out for her only child Riley. When Edward asks how a 100-year-old immortal could interact with a 15-year-old kid. Carlisle simply answered "he will surprise you."


A Wolfs Cry in the Distance

 **"I Am Made Of You" by Ricky Martin**

I came a long way From out of nowhere

I stand before you All alone

Like a wolf's cry in the distance  
I heard the calling Of your soul  
Oh... I hear you cryin'

 _[CHORUS:]_ With your love Show me how to live  
'Cause you are made of me  
And I am made of you

With your life  
Show me how to give

You are made of me  
And I am made of you

We'll walk together Through the fire  
Through the darkness To the sun  
Like two raging rivers full of passion  
At the ocean We are one  
Oh... I hear you cryin'

 _[REPEAT CHORUS]_

I am made of you You are made of me  
And everything you are  
Is what I'm meant to be I am made of you  
You are made of me And everything I am  
Is what you made of me Oh... I hear you crying  
Oh... Through the darkness To the light:

 _[CHORUS]_

With your heart Show me what is true  
'Cause you are made of me  
And I am made of you

With your soul Walk my spirit through  
You are made of me  
And I am made of you  
Oh... I hear you crying through the darkness, through the light

 **Beginning notes.**

 **Well here it is the first chapter of the saga "Wolfs cry in the Distance" which "I hope you had the time of your life" is part of (about half way through now by my reckoning).**

 **I'll work on both and post as often as I can.**

 **The title came from a Ricky Martin song "I am made of you" when I re-heard it early last year I started coming up with the plot of this saga. I was thinking of holding it back for a story solely about Jacob and the shifters, but that's stuck in writer's block, and it fits this story too well.**

 **I originally had written a completely new character for this story, but I thought it might work better if I used a recognizable person from fandom, so I picked Riley Biers, mainly because he was played in Eclipse by the hot Australian actor Xavier Samuel. I have taken great liberties with his character, basing it instead on a close friend of mine (who I have promised will remain nameless – another reason for adopting Riley)**

 **Of course all characters belong to SM, I've just had fun playing with them. Thanks SM, your boys and girls have got me though some tough times!**

 **See end for more notes -**

Chapter 1 – Like a wolfs cry in the distance

Friday 11 September 2003

EPOV

As I walked into school I heard Carlisle's words ringing in my ear… "Look out for the Biers child, his mother isn't expected to make it, he's all alone in this world as far as I know." I could relate to that, though I had only been at school for two weeks, I knew him to have no friends, a complete loner. I remember quizzing Carlisle on Mrs Biers' prognosis, the doctor in me couldn't help it. After a lengthy conversation I agreed the cancer was deep rooted. He's done his best to remove it, but…

Mrs Biers was our Music teacher at Forks Junior High; she was a formidable woman. The best way to describe her was like a 5 foot Katherine Hepburn, bun and all. Skinny as a rail, but smartly dressed. No makeup. She meant business.

She and her Son had apparently migrated from Australia two and a half years earlier, but she had very little trace of an accent, If I were to be asked I would have said she was English, she sounded like one of those Shakespearian actors who pronounce their vowels perfectly.

I got on well with her. She was very talented, but strict. Given the era I was brought up in that was no problem. I was horrified to hear of her prognosis so soon after meeting her.

Then I remember Carlisle's frown and his thought… 'You didn't pay attention to what I really asked you?'; then began a long conversation about how I, a 100-year-old immortal could interact with a 15-year-old kid. Carlisle simply retorted that in his conversations with this 'kid' he showed more maturity then many adults he had seen and that he would 'surprise' me.

I still walked with trepidation at the thought of what I was going to do. I had never met the Biers kid. All thoughts about him from his fellow students were that he was a loner… or more cruelly a looser.

We shared English classes but didn't sit together; Mr Mason assigned us to different tables because our placement scores were both the highest in the class and he thought we could aid other less capable students. After a week he had thought about re-assigning us to sit together since neither of us was any trouble and that would be at least one corner of the class room he wouldn't need to pay attention to.

Biers was smart, polite, the teachers loved him. His thoughts were clouded in worry and fear… there was something dark and malevolent about his background, that I felt before the diagnosis, hard to read through all the clutter of chatter from a new class. But the fear for his mother had wiped all other thoughts from his mind shortly after that.

English was in the afternoon and we had no shared classes before then. I knew Carlisle had mentioned it to all his 'children' so Jasper would keep an eye out for him in history in the morning. They shared a desk and Jasper appeared to get along well with him… or as well as Jasper's weakness would allow. They were both introverts I guess.

At lunch all us Cullen's sat together as had been our practice for 50 years. We had been periodically bothered by curious kids, but they eventually got the message and left us alone.

I kept an eye out for the Biers child but no sign. On our first days here he had sat by himself in the far corner of the room. He kept an eye on us and the crowds which circled around us, but always remained aloof.

I could read his thoughts; that once he had been the 'shiny new toy of the school' to quote him, but that all faded. He half enjoyed us coming down to earth and half pitied us. Strange in 80 years of being an immortal I had never been pitied by a human… I found the feeling disturbing, yet strangely compelling; I needed to know more.

I remembered as the days went on and we stared in sports, Emmett in particular shining in football, Jasper baseball, Alice - despite her height - netball, I modestly on the track. Every male teacher or student had a crush on Rosalie. Biers sympathy evaporated and was replaced by coldness… he realized it wasn't the nature of things for every star to come crashing down to earth and turn into a burnt cinder, some stayed aloft and mesmerized everyone.

I was taken out of my reverie by the entrance of said Biers kid. He was averagely good looking, dark blond hair, lean and lightly muscled and about 5'9". Unlike every other kid who bought their meal from the cafeteria, he had his lunch with him; which was curious enough.

He went over to the soda machine thinking he had run out of soda from home yesterday. He tried not to pay attention to us, but he always glanced over to us. Particularly, when I caught him looking, he flushed and returned to his job at hand, feeding what seemed like a thousand coins into the machine that he had raided from a jar at home, he was thinking he had no other money in the house. In his flustered state he dropped some of the coins and let out a muffled curse, a few chuckles came up from the crowded room at his expense. He began cursing himself that he hadn't remember to go to the canteen to change them for larger denominations.

His nervousness showed and he dropped a few more coins, he was rapidly becoming the floor show of the canteen.

He was so flustered that he fed too many coins in and departed with his coke leaving the remaining coins and hurrying out the door to the humor of all.

I went over to the machine to retrieve his lost change and eyed a short fat kid that was making a b line for it, he rapidly retreated. I then followed the Biers kid out the door.

When I got outside there was no sign of him. If I had of been human that would have been the end of it, but I could smell his scent in the air and followed. The scent lead me away from the school buildings and into the woods that stood on the mountains surrounding the school.

I saw his figure disappear into the trees and followed.

When I caught up with him as he walked through the woods I let him know my presence with a simple "Hey."

Without turning around he said "fuck off." Unlike his mother he had more of an Australian twang, but would still pass for English.

There was a few moments pause where he sniffed the breeze that was blowing through the woods past me, then he almost pirouetted his turn was so fast. His eyes clapped onto me and a flush bloomed on his cheeks. Did he just know my scent?

"Oh… it's you. Sorry." He allowed himself to say. I knew that there was a lot more he was holding back.

"You left these." I said extending my arm and opening my palm to show the few coins that rested there, I tried to not tower over him, but concealing our 4 inch height difference wasn't easy.

A surge of anger swept through him and he swept the coins from my hand and departed further into the woods with a bitter "I hope you enjoyed the show." Parting from his lips.

I was lost for words. I paused for a moment to work out what to do next. Would it be best to just let him go and lick his wounds in private? But I remembered that I promised Carlisle, I would look after him… so I followed.

He went further into the woods and came upon a stream flowing amid the rocks. He sat on a rock overlooking it and without moving his head shouted "What!" He had good tracking skills for a human I'd give him that.

"I'm sorry." I replied.

He turned his head to look at me… A single eyebrow raised in the most expressive way and he waited for me to explain, clearly annoyed I was on 'his' territory.

"I should have helped you in the canteen." I replied. Another surge of anger followed…

"I know how to use a damned coke machine!" he spat.

What do I do now? I guess there is no easy way out of this just plunge forward. "No I meant letting them laugh at you, it wasn't…" I paused for a second thinking of the right vernacular…"cool. I'm sorry." His anger dipped for a minute, replaced by something warm but just as soon as it left, it re-emerged.

"I don't need your help."

Well this is going well… change track "They should be nicer to you. With your Mother…" he didn't let me finish the sentence when he was up on his feet and prowling – yes there is no other word to describe it – prowling to me. If I were human I would be more than a little nervous at this stage.

"How did you know?" he said venomously…

"My Father is Dr Cullen, he operated on your Mother." Again the anger subsided.

"Oh, I forgot who your father was."

"He said you might need some help." Suddenly like a slap in the face his anger had reached a new crescendo…

"I don't need any charity… I just need to be left alone." And he turned, picked up his soda and lunch box and headed further into the woods.

Common sense would say that I should retreat at this point, but I remembered Carlisle's smirk when he said the Biers kid would 'surprise' me, I was immediately more curious. So I followed.

I thought my orienteering skills were quite good, so I was surprised when my tracking lead me to the far end of the football field. He had lead me in a giant circle and I hadn't noticed. He sat on a log overlooking the field.

"What will it take for you to get a hint?" He said bitterly.

I walked up to him… he was seething, but there was something under it… almost that he wanted me to make the first move… I sat on the other end of the log. He made no move to get up. I shuffled closer to him but still a polite distance away. I decided to take a shot at conversation.

"You can yell at me again if you want." I said my crooked smile coming out to play, it usually worked in these situations.

His brown eyes looked into mine, one, then the other, then back again. Trying to work me out. Suddenly a tear rolled down his cheek. He batted it away rapidly and turned to look in the other direction. His anger morphed into sadness which became despair. His mind let out a cry of such misery the like of which I have never heard in my 100 years.

I raised my hand and placed it on his shoulder. He tried to shrug it off but not entirely convincingly. My thumb made small calming circles on his shoulder blade that faced me… this act of tenderness; reading his mind, one of only a few he has had from an outsider in his life, was too much… and the floodgates opened. His shoulders began to heave as stifled sobs began to wrack his body… then in a second, with speed that was almost impossible to imagine a human could achieve, he spun around and I was locked in a vice like grip of despair. His head buried in the crook of my neck crying like a baby, his arms wrapped round me. If I were human I'm sure it would have been painful. I didn't know what to do. No human had hugged me for 80 years. His mind sent out waves of need mingled with the despair. Here was someone who was truly alone… a kindred spirit? I loosely placed my arms around him but too late.

He must have sensed my discomfort and withdrew to his side of the log. His protective shield that had been momentarily dropped returned with vigour. His mind reeling at his stupidity and bracing for the onslaught of my scorn. If I had of had a heart it may have broken a little then. What had happened to this boy to make him so fearful of others, so defensive?

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that," was all he permitted himself to say.

"It's OK, everyone needs someone."

"I don't… I can look after myself and my Mum like I've always done. I don't need any help, or charity." He made to get up but I grabbed hold of his shoulder and pushed him back onto the log, maybe using a little too much force. He gazed at me in wonder for a moment. A look in his eyes that made me feel very queasy, like he had just realized a little part of my secret. But it was soon gone and replaced by his usual fury.

Here goes… "I didn't mean to offend you… I'd just like to be… friends."

"Why?"

Well that's a good point, if I say 'because my father told me' that would go down like a lead balloon. I was knocked out of my reverie.

"Why, you and your family, your good at everything, everyone likes you… why aren't you with the cool kids? Why do you want to be friends with a looser like me?"

"Because I like you; and the cool kids in this school are the losers if you ask me. So dumb but completely up themselves." A broad smile broke over his face and it was like the sun breaking through storm clouds. I realized I'd never seen him really smile.

I remembered I hadn't introduced myself.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Edward; Edward Cullen." I said.

"Riley Biers." He said extending his hand and I shook it. He had a powerful, confidant grip.

Now what, I broke through, but if I say something dumb it could all end, it was like winning the confidence of a wild animal… what could we talk about… the weather of course.

"Pretty damp here."

"I like it…when you come from a place where your house could go up in flames every summer you come to like the rain." An image washed into his mind of him as a child sitting on top of his roof with a garden hose scared shitless as the valley before him raged in flames. I swallowed involuntarily at the image.

"Where's that?"

"Australia, every summer we had bushfires… Mum used to go apeshit just at the smell of smoke." A smile cracked on his face, then suddenly water started pooling in his eyes… No No No. we were so close….

"Ummm…" I thought quickly. "Who are you staying with?" I thought this a safe topic, though I should have known better since Riley hadn't thought of any adult other than his Mother.

"At home." He said bluntly. The tears and smile disappearing and the trap door again closing on his emotions.

"I just thought..." I said trying to save the situation but the damage had been done.

"I can look after myself. I've done it for years. I'm fine!" I knew it was anything but… I then decided to take the plunge. After all, it seemed that the way I had so totally stuffed up this conversation, by the end of it, Riley was certainly going to hate me, so I might as well at least try and see to his welfare…

"Isn't there anyone?"

"NO leave me alone." Said Riley again turning from me.

Now this is a really bad idea, but here goes… "What about your Dad?" Edward knew by school gossip that Mrs Biers was divorced but that's all, Riley never thought about his father so he was curious to say the least.

"Back in Australia I presume with his wife. I see him as much now as I ever did, which is to say never." The bitterness was palpable, you could have cut it with an axe.

"Don't you have any other family?"

"Well there's…" suddenly several things clicked into place in Riley's mind, none of them particularly flattering to me. "NO!" he yelled and sprang from the log pushing himself in a defensive posture up against a nearby tree ready to fight or run as though I had tried to attack him. "NOOOO!" He shouted again. "I'm never going back. You'll never make me. I'll die first. I'll…" anger and fear rolled into one terrifying ball in his mind.

"I'm not… no one wants to send you back… I was just curious as to your background…" I added quickly holding my hands out pleadingly. "Sorry!"

Riley calmed a little with this, but still remained up against the tree. I could hear Riley remembering voices. 'Should be in boarding school'. 'Shouldn't be with his mother'. 'Better off with someone responsible'. I had no idea in what context they were, but they sure as hell weren't anyone in Forks. I had no idea what Riley had been through, but whatever it was scared the shit out of him and was giving me the Hebei's as well.

"Why don't you come and stay with us?" I heard myself say before I could check it… Rose will have a fit! I thought about saying 'you need to think about if your mother doesn't make it, you can't live by yourself.' But fortunately I caught it. I imagined what that would sound like to a kid whose mother was in hospital. I could hear Riley's internal monologue screaming 'don't say it, don't say it!' as though he could read my mind, which was rather disconcerting to say the least. So I finally settled on "Just till your Mom's out of hospital."

I could see Riley's mind whirring away a million thoughts a minuet. Calculating every possible scenario. If we didn't look completely different then I could be looking in a mirror which also was quite disconcerting.

"Mom and Dad have said I need to make new friends here and they'd love you to have a sleep over at our place for the weekend." I lied, also thinking 'sleep over' sounded less threatening. "And you'd be best placed to get news on your mother's recovery." I said throwing everything I had at convincing him.

He continued to wrestle with himself. Until finally. "Are you sure? You don't even know me." Said Riley weakening.

"Then I will over the weekend. I'm willing to take the risk if you are?" I said with my crooked smile breaking through. Always works. But what was that? Did he just say to himself that he loves my smile? Maybe I'm getting into more than I bargained for…

"OK." Riley said with a shy smile and removed himself from his place firmly abut the tree and came over to sit down next to me. He picked up his sandwich from home and began to eat. "You've missed your lunch. Want to share?"

Something about this little touch made me get a lump in my throat, something that I hadn't had in several decades. I knew rummaging through Riley's thoughts that he brought his own lunch because they couldn't afford the cafeteria. All his Mothers salary was going on hospital bills at the moment. I thought I would have to talk to Carlisle about it. Hell there was a lot I was going to have to talk to Carlisle about now. Now here was this kid sharing half of his one sandwich with a perfect stranger. I wonder what he had to eat at home. Probably not much. Yes he had to come and stay with us.

As this ran through my head I realised I hadn't answered Riley's question… what could I say that didn't sound like a refusal? It wasn't just the idea of solid food repelled me, I thought it would be liking taking food out of the mouth of the starving. But I didn't want Riley to know that I knew exactly how precious that half sandwich was.

"No thanks, I'm so excited I couldn't eat…" I tried.

"Excited?" asked Riley, that endearing eyebrow raising again.

"Yeah… I just made my first friend in Forks." Again with the crooked smile for distraction, and this time Riley's whole face light up, like the sun on a Caribbean beach. Then the clouds began to gather.

"There are a hundred cooler kids down there just dying to be your friend."

"Yeah, guess that's why I'm up here with you to get away from sycophants." Riley's smile returned, I want to do everything I can to see that smile as often as possible… where did that thought come from?

I fished in his mind for other topics to discuss… he was a bookworm like me, so I thought I could help the bonding process by admitting such. "I probably should confess I'm a bit of a nerd." I added.

"Welcome to the Nerd Shire." Said Riley with a wave of his hand behind him to the woods.

"Fan of Tolkien?" I asked getting the reference.

"More Roddenberry but I thought that was way TOO nerdy." Said Riley with a smile.

I smiled reading the prompt from Riley's mind and lifted my right hand parting my fingers in the middle "Peace and long life."

Riley looked like he could kiss me, which for some reason I didn't mind… I'm going to have to examine that thought later, it's quite disturbing. "Live long and prosper." Riley responded with his hand also raised and parted in the middle in the Vulcan salute. "Now you know my deepest darkest secret."

"And you know mine, please don't tell my brothers and sisters." I added thinking I would have to do some boning up on Star Trek which I'm really not particularly interested in; but the kid's Mother was dying, I had to humour him. Alice was the Trek nut. A 'more perfect world' right up her alley. I'd have to get her aside for a while.

"Your secrets safe with me Spock. Closet Trekkers rule!" said Riley fist pumping the air. "God I can't believe I just said that, I think you're a bad influence on me!" he said mischievously looking out of the side of his eyes at me, then took a mouthful of sandwich and smiled widely as he ate it. The sparkle in his eye showed that he thought the exact opposite.

We sat for a little while in affable silence. He started running over the course of our conversation in his head and began to feel more and more guilty for yelling at me… Then it hit him. 'They say all the Cullen kids are adopted… fuck what must they have been through? And I yelled at him just for being nice to me?' I couldn't believe that with everything that was going on in his life he was worried about that. 'God I'm the world's biggest arse hole… I've got to apologise.'

"Edward," he started nervously "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

I smiled "It's ok, you have a lot on your mind."

"Still, it wasn't nice…" I could see his mind working twenty to the dozen trying to think of how to broach the subject. "The other kids say you and your brothers and sisters are adopted."

"Yes, Carlisle and Esme Cullen couldn't have children so they adopted us all." I confirmed.

"Wow... that great of them." Riley said actually impressed that people could act that nicely. "Your biological parents?" he asked questioningly.

"Both died of influenza." I confirmed.

"Fuck, I'm sorry… If you don't want to talk about it… I'm sorry it's none of my business." He began to retreat back into his shell thinking he had hurt me. I still couldn't get over the fact that his mother was dying and he was feeling sorry for me.

"It's ok, it happened a long time ago."

"Still doesn't stop it hurting." He added. God that was true… I still miss my mother even after 80 years.

"Yea, but Esme really is a mother to me, and I hate to say it, but Carlisle is there for me much more than my biological dad was." I felt a bit guilty saying that, it wasn't my father's fault he wasn't around, it was the society, the time; he was busy providing for us. Riley picked up on my mood and mistook it.

"You had a rough time before they adopted you?"

"No, Carlisle was my doctor, he… knew my parents. My mother asked him to look after me."

"Thank god… I've heard terrible stories of what can happen to foster kids…" he paused and wondered if he should go on. "I've had a pretty rough time before we came to Forks, if you or your brothers or sisters want someone to talk to about stuff, someone who understands that not all families are nice… Most of the kids in this school come from perfect families… they don't get it."

I didn't know what to say… I knew I had to say something. It wasn't easy for him to admit that and I had to show I appreciated it… "Thanks, were good for now…" he looked hurt. "But I'm sure they would like to be your friend, maybe they can talk to you about It over the weekend." he smiled.

After this heavy conversation we both independently decided lighter subjects would be better so talked amiably about very little. When Riley finished his sandwich I suddenly realised I still had to break the news to my siblings that I had just broken the cardinal rule of the house. 'Humans are not allowed, ever'. I swallowed venom nervously at the thought of the explaining I was going to have to do.

"Um do you want to head back a little early? I've got to tell my family I'm inviting you."

As though he could pick up my nervousness He immediately chimed in… "If it's a problem, it doesn't matter, thanks for asking. Good to know someone's got my back."

God I love this kid… hey, wait where did that come from? Oh shut up Edward it's just a figure of speech. But still he could for all in-tense-and-purposes be orphaned in the next couple of days or weeks and he was thinking about me! A warm feeling came over me, something I had never felt before. Well certainly not since Carlisle welcomed me back after I had been off on my revolt.

"No problem…" I lied "Just a courtesy." Riley smiled again. I helped him up and we walked back to the cafeteria, Riley to get his books for the next class and me to explain to my siblings that the sky was about to fall in on their ordered lives… I was sure a chink of sun broke through the clouds at that moment, everything seemed brighter and warmer but it must have been my imagination. For Riley didn't notice anything different about me. But I certainly was seeing a different side of him then the one I pursued up the bank only a half hour ago.

The words of Carlisle still rang in my ears 'he'll surprise you.'

….

"You said what!" the loud yells collectively from my family attracted everyone's attention. Then my siblings returned to their usual sub-sonic whispers.

"Have you gone out of your mind?" Rose said through clenched teeth.

"What about Jasper." said Alice grabbing hold of a terrified looking Jasper. "It's not fair, he's only got one place to escape to."

"For god sake his mother's dying… and it's only for the weekend." I whisper yelled with death looks at everyone. It had the desired effect with everyone accept, of course; Rose.

"You should have told us before you made the offer." She said.

"I didn't know I was going to make it. He has no one in this country. If Chief Swan finds out he could be put in an institution… is that what you want?" I glowered at them.

"Ok." Said Emmett, the big softie, always the first to cry at a soapy movie and always the first to crack. "But this is just a temporary solution."

"I know, but we can talk about permanent over the weekend, let's just wait and see how long his mother has." I replied.

"Agreed." Said Emm. Everyone looked at him and he glowered back. Now he had made up his mind it was the right thing to do there would be no changing him.

"Alright but YOU have to tell Carlisle and Esme." Said Alice.

"Of course I will" I hissed back slightly harsher then I had intended.

The bell for class broke our reverie and as we all went off I ducked outside to make what I was sure would be a very awkward phone call.

It turned out to not be as bad as I thought. I called each of them separately and both asked was it ok with my siblings, when I lied and said yes, they said it was fine with them and that they were proud of me for my compassion. Another lump in my throat… none for decades then two in one day?

I rang off and headed to English class where Riley was waiting.

As if the God's had conspired, Mr Mason in his latest plan to make the class more efficient and improve his stats had placed us both together. He thought we might become Brainiac's and bring the whole class average up…

I took my seat next to Riley and told him the good news in a whisper while the teacher was warming up. A huge smile broke across his face.

"We'll drop by your place on the way home for you to pick up anything you think you need." I whispered. The smile dropped off Riley's face. He looked at my designer T, then my fitted skin tight jeans, then my top range reeboks and a look of horror dawned on his face.

"I've never done this before," He was lying. "What do I bring?" he whispered.

"Just a couple of changes of clothes and whatever you sleep in." I said hoping that would calm him, it did the opposite his knee began to twitch and he began to fiddle with his pencil. He looked down at his 'not meant to be baggy' jeans, no doubt bought for his next growth spirt. His imitation sneakers. His sears t-shirt. I could tell he was embarrassed at how he looked. I felt awful for him. "Nothing fancy." I added hoping to help him, it didn't. Another lie. "I hope you don't mind I sleep in old things, got more holes in them than thread, but their comfortable."

His eyes lit up and the smile returned. "No, sounds like mine. You need to be comfortable to sleep. Not like anyone's going to be looking…" He said the end trailing off with a hint of whimsy.

Did he just imagine me in bed?

As the teacher coughed and glared at us, we returned our attention to him and I made a mental note, 'the first thing I needed to do is rip holes in the brand new shirt and pants Alice had bought me to relax in at night.' She'd be furious but it's all for a good cause. Then I'd have to do something about what they wore… No I think that might be taking my life in my hands…

The afternoon whizzed by and Riley relaxed into having me near him. He started staring at me a little too often. When I caught him he reddened and looked away. When he thought I was distracted with my work he studied every feature of my face making a note to memorise them. He began analysing them and complimenting them in his mind. It was getting slightly off putting to say the least. It finally dawned on me that Riley was gay… which I didn't have a problem with, but was also starting to develop a crush on me, which was awkward… He now interpreted my interest in him as being more than friendly… I was beginning to get a bit worried about this weekend.

….

Before we knew it we were all out the front waiting for Esme to pick us up in the people mover that she so loved driving. I think she secretly always wanted to be a soccer Mom and now was her chance. Thank god it was a seven seater.

We all had our own cars of course, but since we were all supposed to be 15 we couldn't drive them too obviously.

As we all pilled in Riley got in the two seats in the back row with me. We were pressed close together which I didn't have a problem with, but by Riley's thoughts, I could tell he loved. When Riley pulled his school bag up to his lap pretending to look for something, I knew exactly why he had put it in his lap. When we got near Riley's place I deliberately moved as far away from him as I could so our thighs would no longer be touching, so hopefully, Riley would not embarrass himself getting out of the car.

"I'll try to be quick." Riley said.

"I tell you what. Why don't I stay with Riley and help him, Mom can you drop the guys off home and come back for us?" I suggested knowing they all wanted to have a good bitch with neither of us in the car.

"You're such a thoughtful boy." Esme said and I climbed out and they took off almost before the door was closed.

Riley stood looking nervous. 'What?' I thought.

"I'm afraid I didn't get a chance to tidy up this morning." Riley said.

"Ha you should see my bedroom." I lied. 'Note to self as soon as you get home and tear holes in your P.J.'s, you then need to chuck stuff around you bedroom…' holly shit I don't have a bed! I pulled out my phone and began texting for my family to buy me a bed. I could almost hear the squeal of tires as the people mover in the distance changed course. Just as well I couldn't hear their thoughts from this distance!

We crossed the threshold of the rather old and worn house. And I could tell this was the last thing Riley wanted, I felt for him. It was a humble abode, not unlike what you would expect someone on a teacher's salary to be living in. Then I realized why Riley was nervous. There were clothes scattered around, the kitchenette in the corner had dirty dishes piled up in the sink. There were still plates on the dining table from last night's dinner, or was it the night before?

"Mum hasn't been up to much over the past couple of weeks or so. I was going to tidy up this weekend for when she got back home." Riley said a touch of defeat in his voice.

"I tell you what, it'll take Mom ages to get everyone out of the car and doing their homework and we live quite a way out of town. How about if I help you make a start?"

Riley's eyes light up then faded. "You don't have to do that… I'll be right." He said defensively.

"Come on, it's faster and more fun if you have company and in a house with two teenage brothers you get used to cleaning." I said trying to make Riley feel better. "You go and pack your things for the weekend and I'll start on the dishes." Riley hesitated for a minuet then acquiesced.

I could hear Riley's thoughts as he packed, grateful he stopped me going in his bedroom where clothes lay scattered everywhere and a couple of 'in sport' magazines were scattered over the bed and the floor next to it. I thought 'Strange I never thought he was into sport.' Then I saw they were all open to full page images of David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo wearing very little. Quite well wore and rumpled. I smiled at the thought. At least Riley had good taste in men. Where did that thought come from? It's nothing Edward, don't be so paranoid, lots of straight guy's think Beckham and Ronaldo are the epitome of masculinity and admire them… it doesn't mean that after half a day with Riley I'm gay too.. And why the hell am I now trying to convince myself of this fact… err I think too much.

Unfortunately, Riley noticed one of the magazines and he remembered his efforts last night, making use of being home alone where no one could overhear him. His mind filled with his not inconsiderable manhood in his hand while imagining it to be the hand, mouth, ass of Ronaldo… He then thought about it being me… Whoa! Time to stop paying attention. How come my pants are feeling tighter? I know Alice said they are supposed to be skin tight but this is uncomfortable. Oh No, No No NO! I am not getting a boner thinking about Riley jerking off, it's just not going to happen, no way…

Oh fuck it has.

God what would Freud say about this one…

Fuck I can't let Riley come out and find me with a hard on, he's horny enough, that could lead to some serious overstepping.

Mr Mason naked, Mr Mason naked, Mr Mason naked… there that did it.

I returned my attention to collecting dishes… but my mind couldn't help wandering to what was going on in the next room.

Riley then picked up his worn sleeping attire, boxers and an old t-shirt, he smelled them then threw them on the floor and went over to get a new pair out of his draws. His draws were scantily packed. Now I knew what to get him for Christmas… a new wardrobe. I was startled to think that I had subconsciously been thinking about Christmas presents for him all afternoon.

As I scrubbed dirty pans I began thinking of Christmas, not that long away. The Cullen's had never really celebrated it. There seemed little point for the already dammed to celebrate the birthdate of the savior of man-kind. And when you don't eat, and already pretty much have everything you wanted through the year there is little reason to celebrate. I remember once after Alice and Jasper joined us. The Christmas of `50 we had a tree and tried to get festive, but in spite of Alice's pixie like glee it all seemed rather forced and we dropped it as an idea, instead going on a hunting party.

I was knocked out of my thoughts by Riley's return to the living area to find me just about finished.

"Wow you were fast." Riley exclaimed. I hadn't realized that I had been working at vampire speed.

I lied "Oh I've been on K.P. duty many times. Carlisle likes to have things organised."

"Oh" was all Riley said.

"Do you want to start on the lounge?" I asked. And we began putting books away. Every wall of the small house was covered in book shelves. Their library rivaled our own in a much larger house. But where ours were all in immaculate condition, these had dog ears with torn covers, stains where a coffee mug had been placed inadvertently "Wow, you have some books."

"Yeah, Mum always encouraged me to read. I mainly like history." Riley replied. Not surprising, I had rarely seen a library with as many history books which I noticed were arranged not alphabetically but by subject, country and era. "There all pretty worn, some of them came from seconds shops, but I give them a pretty hard time. Some of them have been out in the woods, all over the place. Mum always told me an unused book is an unread book. We only have a couple of expensive ones that we treat with kid gloves." It was a completely different philosophy to the one I had been brought up with, I cast my mind back to my birth parents sizable library in Chicago and wondered how many books had actually been read. This would explain Riley being in class a veritable encyclopaedia of information.

There were hand drawn maps scattered all over tables. Sketched battle plans similar to what Jasper liked doing in his spare time. No wonder the two of them got along so well.

Then we picked up Riley s dirty clothes. "Do you want Mom to do your laundry while you're with us?" I offered. He seemed horrified.

"No, I couldn't…"

"Well why don't you bring some and we can do it ourselves. I do my own laundry most of the time." He still looked hesitant. "Come on or you'll have nothing to wear to school on Monday." Riley acquiesced. An image ran through his head of me in a pink apron with marigold gloves on and curlers in my hair, a smirk graced his face. Even though it was scarcely a flattering image I couldn't help smirking at it as well. This kid had an odd sense of humor. I looked forward to exploring it more with him.

We bundled up clothes into garbage bags and Riley kept protesting I was taking too many, that he would have nothing to do in the evenings while his mother was in hospital and he could do them then; but I persevered.

The house could do with a good vacuum but I thought I better not push it. Maybe when we dropped Riley off on Sunday night I could give him a hand to hoover.

A honk outside denoted Esme had returned, and we piled the bags of laundry into the back. I could tell Riley was really embarrassed so I stuck up for him. "I told Riley to bring some of his laundry for us to do so his mother wouldn't have to worry about it when she got home." Riley let out a relieved sigh and a smile graced his mouth and his eyes as he sheepishly glanced at me, that was reward enough... I can't believe I just thought that.

"That was thoughtful dear." Esme said with all the grace that characterized her.

We sped off on the long trip back to our house… This was going to be a memorable weekend.

 **End notes**

 **So what did you think? Let me know if there are any scenes you would like me to explore in the next chapters.**

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